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Laowa 10mm F/2.8 AF lens

The TIPA 2024 awards were announced today in the US and among the winners for best camera equipment of the year is Laowa's 10mm F/2.8 rectilinear full frame AF lens. Laowa announced this as an architectural, astro, landscape and portrait lens but it is also a fantastic underwater photography lens with an AOV of 130 degrees. 
Attached are just a few photos from last weeks trip to the North Florida Springs. The 10mm is paired with the Sony A7R V in a Marelux housing with the Marelux 230mm dome port and two Marelux Apollo III strobes. Shot from ISO 400 to 640, most at F/13 and from 1/100th to 1/160th sec.





Phil Rudin

Panasonic Firmware Update for LUMIX S5II and S5IIX

Panasonic Announces Firmware Update to Improve the Shooting Experience and Sharing Functionality of LUMIX S5II and S5IIX.
 
S5II Firmware Version 3.0 / S5IIX Firmware Version 2.0
 
Enhancement of Production Workflows

New Native Camera to Cloud Integration with Adobe’s Frame.io 
Compatibility with Frame.io Camera to Cloud is now supported, enabling images and videos to be automatically uploaded, backed up, shared, and worked on jointly via the cloud. Recorded content is sent to the Frame.io platform through an internet connection via Wi-Fi or USB tethering, enabling seamless sharing of captured photos (JPEG/RAW) and Proxy videos. This empowers creators to receive remote real-time feedback during capture and enables collaborative editing among production teams using their preferred creative software. Frame.io Camera to Cloud streamlines the workflow from shooting to editing, enhancing overall efficiency in the creative process.

Proxy Video Recording 
This new feature records a low bit-rate proxy file when recording video. Simultaneously recording a proxy file that is linked with the original video recording enabling a faster delivery from production to post.
  Improved Basic Performance

Real-time Auto-focus Recognition (Animal Eye, Car, Motorcycle Recognition) The improved real-time auto-focus system enhances the highly accurate Phase Hybrid auto focus of the S5II and S5IIX, efficiently recognizing people among multiple subjects. It also features an animal eye recognition function, to focus on and follow animal eyes, as well as a car and motorcycle recognition function, which is ideally suited for shooting motorsports.

Enhanced E.I.S. Performance
In addition to Standard, High mode is newly added to E-Stabilization (Video) function, which electronically corrects large shakes when shooting on the move. A perspective distortion correction has also been added to correct distortion that tends to occur during video shooting when using a wide-angle lens. Combined with Active I.S. Technology, it is now possible to achieve even more stable footage when shooting on the move.
 
Expanding Creative Options

SH Pre-burst Shooting
The newly introduced SH pre-burst shooting function records bursts before shooting begins. When set to the SH PRE mode, the camera begins burst shooting from the moment the user half presses the shutter button, allowing retroactive burst shooting up to the moment the shutter button is pressed down fully.  
Hereafter a couple of reviews:
 
 
 
 
Davide DB

Using the EMWL Lens on a Blackwater Dive

Disclaimer:
 
Thanks to Pietro Cremone, the Italian distributor of Nauticam, I had the opportunity to try out this interesting lens on a recent trip to Anilao for blackwater dives.
 
Blackwater diving is a form of night diving that involves exploring open waters off oceanic coasts. Unlike traditional night dives, which take place near the shore or in shallow waters, blackwater dives occur in deep waters, typically offshore over deep ocean floors. During these dives, divers immerse themselves in dark waters, often with depths exceeding 100 meters. A bright buoy connected to a variable-length line (20-30 meters) is placed in the water, to which very powerful torches will be attached.
 
The lights are used to attract plankton and marine creatures to the surface, offering divers the opportunity to observe these unique creatures up close and appreciate their beauty in a completely different environment. Additionally, the lights serve as an optical reference for divers as they drift with the currents alongside the buoy and line.
 
Blackwater diving can be an extraordinarily fascinating experience, but it requires adequate preparation and some experience with night diving. Divers must have excellent buoyancy control and perfect self-management skills, including with their photographic equipment.
 
In recent years, these dives have become very popular, especially among underwater photographers, who can capture stunning images of animals that normally inhabit oceanic depths and, thanks to currents and the upwelling phenomenon, ascend towards the surface. Among these creatures, one can find zooplankton, larval stages of many fish species, mollusks, shrimp, etc., and even rare encounters with Paper Nautilus or the Blanket Octopus.
Locations for this type of diving are scattered around the world, and the most famous ones with dive centers with greater experience can be found in: Anilao in the Philippines, Hawaii in the USA, Palm Beach in the USA, Lembeh in Indonesia, and Cozumel in Mexico.
 
For photographic equipment, it is recommended to use a macro lens with a 1:1 ratio and a good field of view (ideally 50 or 60 mm equivalent full frame), with good AF speed, two strobes, and a focus torch positioned on the housing to assist the AF system of the camera body, and a narrow-beam torch for searching subjects, which can also be positioned on the housing or held by hand.
For photographers using Nikon or Olympus, they are fortunate to have two excellent lenses available: the Nikon AF-S 60mm f/2.8 G ED Micro and the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro, which are perfect for Blackwater photography.
However, for Canon and Sony photographers, it is unfortunately more complex because the available optics have very slow AF (Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art and Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro), and in Blackwater, it can be frustrating to try to focus as we really have to seize the moment: subjects are free in the water and besides drifting, they move constantly, making it much more difficult to capture correctly.
Using more performing lenses like Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro or Canon 100mm f/2.8 L Macro unfortunately becomes more complex, even though they have a good AF speed, due to the narrow field of view.
 
An interesting solution to solve this problem is provided by Nauticam. In recent years, Nauticam has been investing heavily in "wet" optics, such as the WWL and WACP-C series, to name a few. In 2020, Nauticam launched a new system of wet optics on the international market, the EMWL series (Extended Macro Wide Lens).
The EMWL is designed to work with various macro lenses and is optimized for both photos and videos. It is a "wet" mount design so that the lens can be attached and removed underwater. This increases the versatility of the entire system. EMWL is a modular system composed of three main parts: the focusing unit, the relay module, and the lens. Plus, an accessory for quick mounting. On the Nauticam website, you can find a detailed description of its features and the modules that compose it. 
 
Being a Canon user, I have strong limitations on the lenses to use in BW, and I thought this lens could help solve them.
The setup I used is as follows: Canon R7, Canon EF-S 60 macro, Nauticam NA-R7 housing, N100 flat port 74, Reverse Angled Viewfinder 32º, EMWL Focusing Unit #1, and 60° objective lenses.
 
Pre-Dive Considerations
 
It is important to note that the EMWL is a lens designed for underwater use and must be immersed in water to function properly. When testing the flash before the dive, it is necessary to get very close to the object, about 1 cm, to make the camera's autofocus work. If you photograph in the air, the autofocus will not focus on anything; immersion of the lens in water is essential. However, at a distance of 1 cm from the lens, autofocus works and allows testing the flash dry.
 
The EMWL is composed of heavy optics. On the Nauticam website, you will find tables for each part of the EMWL. In my specific configuration, the Focusing Unit weighs 728g, the Objective Lens 60° 378g, the Reverse Viewfinder 700g, and the M77 to BM II 122g, for a total of 1,928 grams to add to the normal configuration without a 45° Viewfinder. In my case, I use the normal 45° Viewfinder and should subtract the weight of mine, which is about 480g. So, compared to my base configuration, I add a weight, out of the water, of 1448g. I emphasize this point because on my first dive, I didn't worry at all about the additional weight, but using the camera with this extra weight was a bit more complicated in normal BW use. I recommend neutralizing this additional weight as much as possible with floats or floating arms.
 
In-Water Use
 
With a 60° field of view, framing subjects becomes significantly easier, which is definitely the strong point of this system. This allowed me to quickly and better frame the subject through the Viewfinder. Locating and focusing on the subject was significantly simpler with this lens, allowing me to track it and get as close as possible.
 
The autofocus was not affected by the additional lenses of the Nauticam EMWL system. The focusing systems, single-point AF or AF tracking, worked perfectly. I did not notice any differences compared to normal use. I only experienced a worsening when using the red color of the focus lights. With subjects more sensitive to white light, such as Squid or Paper Nautilus, I usually use only the red color of the focus lights. However, with the EMWL, changing the color of just one focus light from red to blue or white, the autofocus work perfectly again.
 
The Objective Lens 60° has the ability to adjust the minimum focusing distance in 3 modes; surely the 55mm-infinity adjustment is preferable for blackwater photography. Searching for the minimum focusing distance, especially for smaller subjects, framing becomes more complicated, but I noticed a greater magnification of the subject. Comparing notes with Pietro, he confirmed that the 60° lens can achieve a magnification of 4x at the CFD, and this is another advantage of this system. Obviously, for smaller subjects, it is always more difficult to get a good shot, but with this lens, we could photograph other subjects that we normally give up on because they are too complex or have obtained poor results due to the 1:1 ratio of the lenses used up to now.
 
Another impression I had is that the lens provides a greater depth of field. Reviewing the shots taken of a male Paper Nautilus attached to a tunicate, I noticed that a good part of the tunicate and the Paper Nautilus were well in focus. However, I did not have many similar shots during this test session.
The only "negative" feedback I can provide from my experience using it in blackwater is that occasionally, on slightly overexposed shots and with highly reflective subjects, the lens produces a white halo around the subject. In the shots taken, the number of files with this issue was negligible, but I felt it was important to mention it.
 
Final Thoughts
 
I was thrilled to use this system, and I would like to thank once again the Italian distributor of Nauticam (Fotosub-shop.it - Pietro Cremone) for giving me the opportunity to test it in black water. Certainly, this system requires various trials in the water by the user, but once the right balance is found, it can provide incredible images of both typical subjects in blackwater and smaller subjects. The cost of the complete configuration may not be within everyone's reach, but as we know, our hobby is expensive, and we do enjoy expensive toys. If you have the opportunity to purchase it, you could overcome the limitations we have with the lenses used in blackwater. If I have the chance to try it again, I would like to use the 100° lens for larger subjects, such as a Blanket Octopus (if they are easy to find), a beautiful female Paper Nautilus, or a large jellyfish; it could be very interesting, considering also that changing lenses can be done underwater, being very careful not to let it slip, though... I will keep you updated.
 
 
Hydrozoan Jellyfish - 1/320 F14 ISO 320
 
 
Tube anemone larva - 1/320 F14 ISO 320
 
 
Flounder larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
Mantis shrimp larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
Crab larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
Unidentified - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
Juvenile benthic octopod on a salp - 1/250 F20 ISO 320
 
Juvenile benthic octopod on salp - 1/250 F22 ISO 320
 
Seahorse, Hippocampus sp. - 1/250 F18 ISO 320
 
Dotterel Filefish - 1/250 F20 ISO 320 
 
Veliger larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
Shrimp larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
Mantis shrimp Larva - 1/250 F18 ISO 320
 
Fish larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320
 
 
Giancarlo M.

Sony firmware updates: a1, a9III, a7SIII and a7IV

Sony have announced major firmware upgrades for the a1, a9III, a7SIII and a7IV
 
According to the Sony press release, firmware v2.00 for the Sony a1 is perhaps the most extensive. 
 
The Sony a7SIII and a7IV are upgraded to v3.00.
 
The Sony a9III will be upgraded to v2.00 which is expected to be available from 9 April. However if you live in the USA, availability is from April 9.
TimG

Nikon firmware update: Nikon Z6ii and Z7ii

Nikon have announced firmware updates to their Z6ii and Z7ii cameras
 
According to the Nikon update page:
 
Changes from “C” Firmware Version 1.61 to 1.62  
Changed the default values for the following settings displayed when connecting wirelessly: - Encryption keys - The password displayed after the camera's default settings are restored • Fixed the following issues: - In some cases, tapping the monitor would not move the focus point to the selected position. - In some cases, the camera would take time between shots if Camera Control Pro 2 was used to take photos.  
TimG

Nikon Z9: Firmware update 5.0

Nikon have just announced another firmware update for their flagship Z9 camera.
 
Although on the face of it, not especially helpful for u/w photographers, for sports and studio people, lots of interesting additions.
 
A full list is here:
https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/fw/516.html
 
Nikon's press release explains:
 
(Full details here: https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2024/0313_firmware_01.html)
 
TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of firmware version 5.00 for its flagship full-frame/FX-format mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z 9.
Firmware version 5.00, the fourth major update since the release of the Z 9, increases usability for sports photography by expanding the Auto Capture and High-Speed Frame Capture+ functions. Portrait photography is also enhanced for more effective capture of the images photographers want, with the new Skin Softening and Portrait Impression Balance functions, and new Rich Tone Portrait Picture Control that enables rendering of details of the subject's complexion with rich tones. Furthermore, the evolution of the Z 9 continues with improved operability achieved in response to feedback from professionals requesting increased speed and efficiency.
Nikon will continuously meet users' needs through firmware updates that expand the functionality of its cameras
TimG

Nikon buys Red

Nikon is aiming to broaden its presence in the cinematography industry.
The company has disclosed its agreement to acquire Red, a cinematography camera manufacturer, which will operate as a fully-owned subsidiary of Nikon. Details regarding the terms and value of the acquisition were not revealed.
 
In its announcement, Nikon expressed its intention to utilize this acquisition to expand its footprint in the rapidly growing professional digital cinema camera market. By leveraging the strengths and networks of both companies, Nikon anticipates an innovative future in product development that will push the boundaries of film and video production. Nikon's proficiency in product development, reliability, image processing, optical technology, and user interface, combined with Red's expertise in cinema cameras, including unique image compression technology and color science, is expected to drive the creation of distinctive products.
 
Here the full press release:
 
https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2024/0307_01.html
 
Davide DB

Another Live aboard fire - Raja Ampat

Reports have come in of another live aboard fire in Indonesia, this one in Raja Ampat, details are scant, however it was posted that every one got off the boat.  Only seems to have made Indonesian new channels so far, there is a link to a news page in Indonesian.
 
https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/raja-ampat-boat-fire-dive-boat.643793/
 
https://papua.jpnn.com/papua-terkini/2670/kapal-pesiar-terbakar-di-perairan-raja-ampat-bagaimana-kondisi-23-wisatawan
Chris Ross

The Sea&Sea Correction Lens - coming back?

Edge sharpness with wide-angle lenses underwater  can be an issue especially for users of full-frame sensor camera bodies.
 
One solution to increasing edge sharpness, which has worked for some photographers, has been the Sea&Sea correction lens which came in 77mm and 82mm diameter options. But this lens disappeared from sale a little while ago.
 
Waterpixels member @Ido has been in contact with Sea&Sea and has been told that the company plan to make the lens available again later in the year.
 
So if you have been hunting around for the Sea&Sea correction lens and have given up hope, all is not lost...... hopefully!
 
 
TimG

The other face of underwater photography: ethical dilemmas

Hi Everyone,
I would like to share with everyone this article that i have published on my site. In a time where we are constantly pushed by social media to publish images faster and faster i am noticing around me more and more malpractices on land and of course also underwater.
This is an article initially in french translated by myself in English do forgive me if there any errors.
 
https://scuba-people.com/en/banner/the-other-face-of-underwater-photography-ethical-dilemmas
 
Thanks for reading
christophe chellapermal

Updates to Adobe Lightroom

Updates announced by Adobe for Lightroom
Lightroom Classic 13.2, Lightroom 7.2 and Mobile 9.2 released
These releases are primarily for new cameras and lens support, and a number of bugs are fixed in these releases.

Lightroom Classic
There are some additional features in Classic 13.2. These include:
- Additional Sort Order options
- Additional Filter and Smart Collection options
- Some performance enhancements

We would recommend it's safe to update to these versions immediately.
As mentioned, there are quite a number of bug fixes. To check them and to see additional details on the Classic changes and the new camera/lens support, read our blog What's New in Lightroom Classic 13.2 & Lightroom Ecosystem (February 2024)?
TimG

Adobe Lightroom Classic Update v13.1

A new update to Lightroom Classic appeared today (14 Dec). This is v13.1 and follows on from 13.0.01 and 13.0.2 which were released some weeks ago.
Although the download was very slow (an Adobe banner acknowledged this and said it was being fixed), the update seems to work without a problem.
Adobe report that the update fixes bugs and provides support to new cameras. No new features apparently.
TimG

SUPE D-PRO Strobe test

Underwater photography is an incredible experience because it offers enthusiasts the opportunity to discover the underwater world in its most authentic beauty. To capture these extraordinary images it is essential to have the right equipment, and one of the key elements in underwater photography is the strobe.
 
SUPE Scubalamp is a company specialising in the design and production of underwater lighting equipment, including torches, strobes and related accessories. The company, a world market leader for many years, recently launched the new SUPE Scubalamp D-Pro underwater strobe, successor to the glorious D-Max. This product caught the attention of the underwater community due to its exceptional quality, light uniformity and battery life, and these features immediately placed it among the best in the industry. Another distinguishing feature is the high-speed continuous shooting mode, with the strobe supporting 10 frames per second in the first mode, making it much easier to capture shots in quick succession.
 

The D-Pro, with its 4800 degree Kelvin circular lamp with a 160W power output and 150 degree beam angle, ensures an even spread of light over the entire framed area. This means that captured subjects and scenes will appear in natural, vivid colours - in short, your shots will be outstanding.

A crucial feature for underwater strobes is battery life. While in the deep sea it is complicated to change batteries easily, so to avoid any kind of problem it is always preferable to do the replacement only at the end of the dives. SUPE Scubalamp D-Pro also excels in this respect, thanks to its 37.8 Wh rechargeable lithium battery (3x 18650), which guarantees from 500 strobes at full power up to 3000 strobes in the first mode. The large battery capacity supports long underwater photo sessions, allowing every moment to be captured without interruption. The strobes also feature a display that shows the battery charge status, allowing you to keep track of the remaining battery life at all times.

I have been fascinated by these strobes since their launch and, after hearing feedback from other underwater photographers, I finally had the opportunity to test them first-hand during my recent three-week trip to the breathtaking tropical waters of Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
 
The setup I used for the test consisted of: Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye, Nauticam NA-R5 housing, Nauticam 140mm Dome, Nauticam Trigger and Flex-Arm carbon arms.
 

 
During the first dives I studied the light behaviour of the strobe in order to position it in the best possible way. The circular lamp guarantees excellent uniformity in light distribution and the D-Pro, with its coverage angle of about 150°, provides a considerable amount of light perfectly distributed over the entire frame of the shot. Power adjustment is easy thanks to the power selector. To balance the weight I added a pair of floats, as the strobes tended to be slightly negative.
 
Looking at the shots underwater, previewed on the camera, I was impressed and couldn't wait to review them on my computer once back on land. Upon review I was even more surprised by the quality, quantity and uniformity of the light, everything was simply amazing.
 
While diving, I tried to 'exploit' the strobes to the best of my ability in a variety of situations, and they never let me down; on the contrary, they always provided the best of their light. I was particularly satisfied with the battery life. I always recharged the batteries after 6 dives, with an average of about 100-130 shots per dive, the display allowed me to accurately monitor the remaining charge, eliminating uncertainty about whether I could continue shooting. Recharging the batteries was simple, just remove them from the compartment and plug them into the supplied transformer, waiting for the LED to turn green to indicate a full charge. I'm not sure of the exact hours needed, I always did this before going to sleep, in the morning the batteries were ready, fully charged.
 
As an optional extra Supe supplies a diffuser (D200-Diffuser) for wide angles. It is a hotly debated topic among underwater photographers whether they should be used or not. Not being able to provide scientific measurements with appropriate instruments, I can only give you my personal feelings.
 
I felt good in both cases, with and without, the difference I noticed was only in the type of scene shot. I shot very often without a diffuser, because I had the feeling that the strobe had more penetration and the light was more incident on subjects with a greater distance to the lens. On the other hand, with very close-up shots, I found the shots with the use of the diffuser with a softer and more even light more pleasing.
 
After three weeks of diving I did not experience any problems with their operation, the strobes were always ready to fire. The size and weight did not have a major impact during the dives, I appreciated their ease of use. I personally think that the SUPE Scubalamp D-Pro is currently one of the best underwater strobes available on the market in terms of value for money. However, it is important to emphasise that I have not been able to assess its reliability in the long term; my testing period was, in fact, limited. However, I am also confident in terms of reliability because the quality I found during use was evident.
 
 I would like to thank my friend Scipione, who allowed me to test these strobes, and Raymon Bao, owner of SUPE Scubalamp, who was always available to answer my requests for further details about the product.
 
F8 - 1/125 - ISO 100
 
F11 - 1/160 - ISO 320
 
F13 - 1/160 - ISO 250
F10 - 1/125 - ISO 250
 
F8 - 1/160 - ISO 250
 
F11 - 1/125 - ISO 250
F10 - 1/125 - ISO 200

F8 - 1/125 - ISO 160
 
F9 - 1/125 - ISO 200
 
 
Giancarlo M.

OM System OM-1 Mark II Camera Announced

On a live event, OM Digital announced three new products and a new lens road map. The most notable is the new OM-1 Mark II camera.
 
The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a Micro Four Thirds camera with a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor, designed for high-speed performance. It serves as an updated version of the flagship OM-1, featuring various hardware and firmware enhancements.
Set to launch on February 26th, the OM-1 Mark II will be priced at $2399, marking a $200 increase from the original model released in February 2022. The OM-1 Mark II debuts two years after the release of the original model, bringing about a range of improvements rather than a radical shift in specifications compared to its predecessor.
 
 

 
 
Rebranded as OM SYSTEMS (note that the OM-1 still carries the Olympus name), this camera boasts several noteworthy enhancements, including a doubled internal buffer memory, an impressive 8.5 stops In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS), 14-bit raw support for High-Resolution Mode, advanced human AI recognition, the addition of computational ND filters, a superior focusing system, and improved ergonomics.
 
Here an initial review:
 
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/om-system-om-1-mark-ii-initial-review
 
 
 
 

Davide DB

"BOOT Duesseldorf" Nauticam with FCP, AOI, Seafrogs, Seacam, Divevolk...

The biggest trade fair for boats, diving (and underwater photography) in Germany traditionally takes place in January every year, BOOT in Düsseldorf.
I can report on Nauticam (who shared the stand with PanOcean), Seafrogs, Seacam and GoPro, but of course only individual impressions.
There were 3 Nauticam employees on site. One of the three FCPs currently available outside the factory was on display, along with the WACP-1, WACP-C and WWL-1b. I was particularly taken with this comparison.
 

 


Next to WWL-1b
The FCP is noticeably smaller than the WACP-1, but a little bit bigger than the WACP-C. I hardly noticed the difference in weight. What is particularly striking is that the front glass is very curved. Inside you can see what Nauticam claims are highly coated lenses.
The FCP comes with an interchangeable port connection (120 and 100) so that no adapters need to be used.


 
 
The pictures shown at the trade fair by Alex Mustard are, as always, beautiful, and I'm looking forward to seeing the practical experiences of normal people.
It was interesting to see the EMWL again in its various configurations. If you want to save yourself the relay, you either need a camera where you can turn the viewfinder image upside down or an inverting viewfinder.
Unfortunately, the FCP feels so good that I'm thinking more and more about putting my WACP-C in the "classified" and switching to the FCP.
 
Opposite is the SeaFrogs stand. In addition to the plastic enclosures from the Salted Line series, the new all-aluminium enclosures are also on display here. I may be wrong, but to me they look like a cheeky (but worse) copy of the Nauticam enclosures - and are nevertheless in the same price range. I'd rather stick with Nauticam.



Seacam is probably more focussed on cold-water divers and the stand staff were not very interested in walk-in customers. Lots of large dome ports, the Seacam flashes and the familiar housings. After 5 minutes without getting attention, I moved on.


The GoPro representative was amusing for me: a small stand, nothing diving-specific. They didn't make any effort.

I still found AOI interesting because we also had the discussion here:
The UWL-03 looks very high quality, and the bracket still required for the diving housing also makes a stable impression. However, it is also quite small in nature, so I can't imagine that spilt shots would be possible with it. On the other hand, the edge sharpness increases considerably and you can get closer to the objects - according to the stand personnel up to 8cm, whereas without water contact optics at least 50-60cm are necessary. 

Finally, Divevolk cases for iPhones: It's easy to imagine that the mobile phone is very safe from water ingress and can be taken diving. But I have also been told that a protective glass significantly restricts usability and that you should use a removable protective glass cover for use above water, which can be removed from the Divevolk case for use.

 



fruehaufsteher2

Was Jacques Cousteau Wrong???

Traveling 12,000 miles (19,600km); flying for 24 hours, followed by a 2-1/2 hour drive, and then a 1 hour boat ride, all to get to the Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand. Mon Dieu! OK, I hate to admit it, but he was right, it is one of the world’s top 10 diving destinations.
 

 
Created by volcanic eruptions about 10 million years ago, they’ve become home to a myriad of marine life. There are over 50 different dive sites around the islands, such as the Northern Arch, Blue Maomao Arch, the Magic Wall, and the Rikoriko Cave (one of the world’s largest sea caves), each with its own amazing experience.
 

 
 

 
From the macro to the micro, it’s all here. Pods of Orca patrol the area looking for their favorite Kiwi dish, the rays. Both stingrays and eagle rays visit the islands. Clouds of fish school through the kelp forests keeping a watchful eye for other predators like sharks that frequent the Poor Knights. At the same time, I’ve never experienced marine life so fearless of human beings. I would even say they are downright friendly! Some of them are even a bit of a pain, such as the incredibly curious Sandager’s Wrasse.
 

 
On the other end of the scale, small creatures inhabit every nook and cranny along with urchins, anemones, sponges and gorgonian corals. They’re so plentiful it’s hard to imagine. Many of the subtropical fish living in the Poor Knights are not found anywhere else in New Zealand. They include species such as the spotted Black Grouper, Mosaic Moray, and Lord Howe Coralfish. And lest we not forget the nudibranchs. Unquestionably, some of the most colorful and unusual nudibranchs I have ever seen are in the Poor Knights. Every color and shape imaginable including New Zealand’s “lovliest nudibranch”, the Gem Doris (or Gem Nudibranch). They too are everywhere to be found.
 
 
 
 

 
At the Northern Arch, squadrons of Short-Tailed Stingrays can be seen cruising the waters of the archway in the summer months. It’s the only gathering of its kind that has been documented for this species; come winter and it’s a “ghost-town”. Nobody knows exactly where the stingrays go during the winter. However, recent research seems to indicate that the stingrays actually stay within 30km of the Arch.
 
The Blue Maomao Arch is (not surprisingly) named for its aggregation of the Blue Maomao fish Scorpis violacea. Massive schools of the fish congregate in the huge natural archway, which is flooded with rays of light from the top and sides. Layers upon layers of fish migrate through the arch, so much so that sometimes you cannot see the other end of the archway, even in clear water. It’s an awe-inspiring experience. And while I wouldn’t think of besmirching one of New Zealand’s most famous dive sites, my favorite fish is actually the Blue Demoiselle (sorry Blue Maomao fans).
 
They say that the “ends justifies the means”, and in the case of the Poor Knights Islands, it’s a good thing that it’s true. Getting there will definitely try your patience (and backside). But in the end (pun intended), it’s absolutely worth it.
 
Many thanks to Darryl Lowndes and Johnny Zhao for help with the videos.
 

BobM

FCP, WACP, WWL, EMWL - A short overview of what you need to know on Nauticam water contact optics

Last year I decided to go big - switching from the tiny RX100 to FF (FullFormat). In my case, it was the A7IV as the best value for money. But having made the decision on the camera model is only one step - lens, housing and port is much more difficult. But with the support of the nice guys here and the old forum, I am now the happy owner of a sleek combination that is tailored to my needs. But how do you know what you need? This article might help.    
 
The most common type of camera used by underwater photographers is one that is inserted with lens into a housing and has either a flat (flat port) or curved (dome port) front glass at the port.
 
Even in the days of analogue photography with the Nikonos system, for example, water contact lenses were developed that explicitly take into account the refraction of light at the water-to-glass contact surface. This reduces distortions that would otherwise occur when light hits the port at an angle and cause blurring at the edges.
 
Nauticam has therefore developed some different types of water contact optics that evolved and serve different purposes.
FCP (Fisheye Conversion Port) and WACP (Wide Angle Conversion Port) are "dry" optics designed to turn a mid-range zoom lens on the camera into a wide-angle zoom when the combination is taken under the surface. WWL (Wet Wide Lens) is the older version, somewhat less compact and made of more components, wet lens, but otherwise very similar to WACP.
EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) takes a different approach: different underwater lenses are placed in front of a macro lens and a flat port in order to be able to adjust on different subjects - from macro to large fish.
 
First and newest: FCP 

Picture courtesly provided by Alex Mustard
 
A dry lens that is attached directly to the housing with the appropriate (depending on the camera and lens) port extensions. 
In concrete terms, you can imagine the FCP as an ultra-wide-angle lens for underwater use. A lens such as the Sony 28-60, Canon 24-50 or Nikon 24-50 is attached to the camera and the FCP is mounted on the housing. This achieves a maximum field of view of 175° - a real fisheye. In the zoom position, the field of view is still 85°, i.e. still quite wide-angle, comparable to a 24mm lens over water.
 
Next WACP: Still new, especially the WACP-C

 
The WACP ports with the endings -C for compact, -1 for the "normal" variant and -2 for the maximum variant are not quite as extreme. Also "dry" optics - see above. They are intended to cover a field of view of approx. 70°-130° - i.e. comparable to a lens with a normal focal length (approx. 30mm) to a slight fisheye wide angle (11mm). On the camera, the WACP-C and WACP-1 require similar lenses as for the FCP (for example Sony 28-60, Canon 24-50 or Nikon 24-50), but the largest variant requires a wider-angle lens such as 14-30mm to achieve the same field of view. These water contact lenses are quite bulky and heavy (WACP-C: 2.3kg, WACP-1: 3.9kg, WACP-2: 7.0kg) and offer better sharpness than dome ports, especially at the edges, but above all they provide a wide zoom range under water and focus even directly at the glass. The WACP-C, although labelled as a compact version, also fits some of the full-frame cameras and is the most suitable solution for me personally. 
 
WWL-1(B): 

 
AFAIK the two WWL ports (WWL-1 and the newer WWL-1B) are the predecessors of the WACP ports. The area of use is the same as with WACP: field of view approx. 70-130°, i.e. wide normal focal length to slightly ultra-wide angle/fisheye when using zoom lenses with a focal length range of approx. 25-60mm. The difference to the WACP solutions is the technical design. With WWL, you have a compact plan port on the housing and the WWL is mounted wet, i.e. with water between the front glass of the port and the WWL lens. Advantage over the WACP solutions: lighter overall, and you can remove the WWL under water and then have a lightweight telephoto lens (...no one ever does...). Disadvantage: The telephoto lens is rarely needed and air bubbles between the port and the WWL can be annoying. 
 
EMWL: One size matters fits all

 
The EMWL wants to be and can be an "all in one":
The basic here is that an 90 mm macro lens is mounted on the camera and the corresponding port with flat glass at the front (flat port) is mounted on the underwater housing. A close-up lens (e.g. SMC-1) for magnification or the EMWL can be used on a flip port.
 
The EMWL consists of two or three elements:
The focusing unit, which is available in variants for Nikon, Canon and Sony, is located directly in front of the macro port An optional extension piece (relay lens) then follows, which turns the image upside down and brings the front glass closer to the subject The actual lens, which is available in 160°, 130°, 100° and 60° angle of view versions, is located at the top. The 130° lens is particularly popular and is ideal for CFWA, but also for large fish or panoramic images.  
In contrast to FCP and WACP, the EMWL is a wet lens, so there is water between the port glass and the focussing unit, but also between the relay lens and the objective lens. Image quality is high in every direction but bubbles between the parts can be annoying and there have been issues about focus breathing.
 
The main areas of application are thus:
 
FCP: Fisheye wide-angle zoom, medium volume, compact
WACP: Wide-angle zoom, medium to large volume depending on version
WWL: Comparable to WACP, Lighter and slightly cheaper, but with technical disadvantages
EMWL: fixed focal lengths that can be changed under water, somehow bulky, objectionable appearance
 
To show the differences in size and appearance here a pic from Alex Mustard, showing (left to right) FCP (prototype), WACP-C, WACP-2, WACP-1 (Thanks, Alex!)

 
Cost (€)? You have already camera, housing and lens. And focus gear. And port extension. And arms, flashes and so on. Just the port:
 
Rough estimates
FCP: EDIT Jan 14th: Now on Nauticam website €6.482,00 (incl. VAT)
WACP-C: €2.9k
WACP-1: €4.5k
WACP-2: €8.2k
WWL-1b: €1.9k (with flatport)
EMWL: €8.5k (with flatport, 60°, 100°, 130° optics, rely, focusing unit, flip-holder, SMC-1)
 
 
If I made errors or incorrectness anybody please feel free to add or correct
fruehaufsteher2

Methods to determine the appropriate dome port for a wide angle lens in an underwater housing.

This article is a short version of the original post that can be found on my blog. The content is very much the same but this version is slightly shorter and has less opinions than the original. Those opinions are personal and potentially controversial and I do not want Waterpixels to be associated with them.
 
Warning this is an extremely technical article that I have written on request. If you are not familiar with optics, geometry, housings do not attempt to perform a calculation by yourself and rely on expert advice.
 
Hope you find it useful, also the original PDF of this article for download is below. 
 
Methods to determine the appropriate dome port for a wide angle lens in an underwater housing - SHORT.pdf
 
Background
The physics of dome ports are not new to underwater practitioners although not many people understand the formulas, it is well accepted that there is a correct way to size and position a dome port in order to optimise opticalperformance of a lens inside an underwater housing. I do not want to repeat the theory here but if you feel you need a refresher the excellent articles from the now passed David Knight and specifically the piece on dome port theory will be useful. For the purpose of this article I will consider only underwater imaging, split shots and over and under have different considerations and will be addressed separately in due course.
 
Practical Implications
For our purposes, what is interesting is that a dome port is able to restore the lens air field of view when the camera and lens are inside a housing. The theory says that this happens when the centre of the dome lies on the lens entrance pupil. But what happens if it does not? Jeremy Somerville has created a number of visualisers that although not totally correct give a good idea of the issues involved. In particular the positioning of the dome port is something you may want to check. In short if the dome is not correctly positioned we lose field of view as result of distortion and increase the amount of chromatic aberrations.
 
We also have to consider that the dome port being a single element lens has also issues of field of curvature and spherical aberrations which are additional to any considerations on positioning and require the user to stop down the lens to reduce the side effect. Those side effects are exacerbated when the dome is not correctly positioned to the point they cannot be corrected no matter how much you stop down the lens.
 
Choosing appropriate wide angle lenses
 
Minimum Focus Distance
One of the key take aways of dome port theory is that if your lens is not able to focus close it may not work at all inside a dome, which in turn means your dome starts to become bigger and bigger to allow your lens to focus or you need to introduce close up lenses which further deteriorate optical quality.
 
More compact set ups and smaller domes require lenses that can focus close. In addition, due to the dome port optics, infinity focus will be reached at 3x the dome radius from the dome surface: your lens will work to a maximum focus distance well under one metre and closer to half a metre. This is a challenge for wide angle lenses that are designed for landscape and not usually optimised for close focus. One assumption that you cannot make is that a lens that is great for topside use will perform equally well behind a dome, or even more interesting a lens that is small and compact may require a quite sizable dome to work properly underwater which negates the size benefit to start with.
 
The dead Zone 
The dead zone is where the camera cannot focus because our subject is too close. Our objective is to place thedead zone inside not outside our dome so that we can maximise the range we can use for imaging. It is not an issue if the dome radius is so big that the focus area falls well inside the dome, in fact it may be an advantage, but if the camera focus distance is outside the dome we are eating away useful range and at the point where the focus distance is so far that is outside the dome infinity point the camera will not focus at all. By choosing a lens that can focus very close we accomplish two objectives:
 
We reduce the size of the dome required We maximise the focus range that can be used.  
I prefer lenses that have a minimum working distance around 20cm, and avoid anything that focuses from 25cm and beyond, this ensures good image quality and reasonably compact set ups.
 
Prime vs Zoom
Prime lenses have a fixed entrance pupil this means that once the dome is sized and positioned your job is done. Zoom lenses instead change in size or move the entrance pupil to accommodate changes in the field of view. This is bothersome as it means that if you determine your dome parameters at wide end this may not be correct at tele end. In addition as the angle of view is being reduced the curved surface of the dome will start looking more and more flat. This is a challenge but not one we need to address, as seen in the flat port theory lenses that are longer than 35mm suffer less from chromatic aberrations, therefore for our purposes we will treat zoom lenses like a prime lens whose focal length is the shortest our zoom can manage, i.e. the wide end of the zoom. At the tele end the dome with a zoom lens will look like a flat port but still have some benefit over it in terms of aberrations.
 
Zoom Factor
Although we said we will consider the zoom lens as a wide tele, lenses with a zoom ratio much bigger than 2x will most definitely be problematic. This is the reason why zoom lenses with conservative ratios like a classic 16-35mm are bound to perform overall better than say a 20-70mm lens. Lenses in the classic 24-70mm or 28-75mm range tend to have less problems because they are not that wide to start with and generally work well as long as they focus close, otherwise they will require larger domes.
 
Comparison at equal field of view and different working distance.
 

The graphic above illustrates how two lenses with equal field of view displayed in solid green require different dome radii depending on the minimum operating distance. The small inverse triangle is the area inside the lens up to the focal plane.

Lens1 will require the smaller dome so that the area not in focus falls inside the dome, if a larger dome is used this simply expands the focus range into the water proportionally to the increased dome radius. A lens with the same field of view but longer MOD2 will require a larger dome to ensure the area out of focus is inside the dome. A smaller domecan be used however the dead non focus area now moves into the water. As the infinity point is still set at 3x the domeradius from the surface using this smaller dome means less focus range can be used by the camera. Using too small domes deteriorates image quality because the compressed focus range has an impact on the overall image resolution.
 
Locating the Lens Entrance Pupil
In order to properly position the dome port we need to determine where the entrance pupil of our lens is. There are at least 4 methods that can be used to locate the entrance pupil of the lens.
 
Method 1 Look into the lens
It makes me smile when you read: locating the entrance pupil is easy just look into the lens and see where the aperture is. I do not find this easy at all, first lenses are increasingly complex in construction and second how do youplace depth of the aperture correctly even if you can see it? The error margin of this method is very high.
 
Method 2 Non Parallax Point
A demonstration of this method is beyond this write up however if you want to go deeper into this this article should help you. This method has a good level of precision and panotools maintains an entrance pupil database for many DSLR lenses.
 
Method 3 Trigonometry
Once you know the lens field of view you can use various filter rings to determine the thickness where vignetting occurs. At that point you can simply calculate the distance from the edge of the entrance pupil by taking the ratio between the lens radius and the tangent of the angle of view. This gives good precision and does not require anything else than the lens itself and a few filters but can be approximated also for a lens you do not own using standard roundings.
 
Method 4 Lens Design
There are some websites that have lens design drawings directly from patents. This will give you the exact location of the entrance pupil from the image plane and from the lens mount.
 
I use the site maintained by Bill Claff called the Optical Bench Hub. Unfortunately the database is not complete, some specific brands designs are scarce. The benefit of this method is that you can use it to make calculations before you buy the lens and it is 100% accurate.
 
Entrance Pupil Determination - Practical Examples
 
Case 1: Lens Design Available
We locate the lens design on the Optical Bench Hub here.
 

 
The important parameters are I distance from the edge of the lens to the image plane (sensor) which is 115.04mm and P distance of the entrance pupil from the lens front.
 
The difference I - P = 91.79mm still accounts from the flange distance. Taking that out we get
73.79mm from the lens mount.
 
The lens has a minimum working distance of 300mm. If we subtract the entrance pupil distance from the image plane of 91.79mm we determine a minimum dome radius of 208.21mm which is rather large and in fact not available if not as a custom product.
 
Case 2: Lens Design Not Available
The Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 is an affordable, fast and high quality wide angle lens with a somewhat limited zoom range. The lens is 99mm long and takes a 67mm filter thread. I used an ND1000 Hoya Pro filter with a thickness of 5.6mm, the lens external radius is 69mm with the filter on.
 
The lens nominal field of view is 103.70 degrees however all mirrorless lenses have software corrections. Ideally I need to know the real field of view however the error is normally 1 to 3% and does not influence the calculations too much.
 
If we consider a length of the lens and filter of 104.6mm and a radius of 34.5 mm for an angle of 51.85 degrees we obtain a distance from the lens mount of 77.5 mm and from the focal plane of 95.5 mm. Taking into account that the MOD is 190mm this gives a minimum radius of 94.5 mm for the dome which is very good news.
 
Dome Selection Part I - Field of View
The first thing that we need to ensure is that the dome field of view can contain the lens field of view otherwise our main objective of preserving the air performance would be lost.
 
Unfortunately the specifications of dome ports on the market are somewhat lacking so you need to make do with what you have or ask for CAD details.
 
I use Nauticam that do produce good documentation, zen does this too 
18809 18810 18812 1881318815 N120 Optical Glass wide angle port.pdf
 
Here you can see that, ignoring the thickness of the glass for simplification purposes the various ports have the following field of view using the formula 2*arcsin(glass port diameter/curvature radius)
 

 
It is somewhat surprising to see that the larger port in terms of size is the narrower in terms of field of view I believe this is a compromise in terms of weight.
 
Dome Selection Part II - Curvature Radius
Looking at field of view is not sufficient, we also want to ensure that the lens MOD is contained by the dome andtherefore we need to take into account the actual radius of curvature of the port
 
18809 180mm Optical Glass Wide Angle Port Radius 110mm 18812 230mm Optical Glass Wide Angle Port II Radius 120mm 18813/18815 250mm Optical Glass Wide angle port Radius 160mm  
The port size goes with the curvature radius however somewhat surprisingly the difference between the 230mm and 180mm port is rather small making the choice between the two more a matter of field of view.
 
Amount of Recession of the Camera from the Port
Camera housings are not like skin, armed with a digital calliper you need to determine the distance between the lens mount and the housing port mount. Alternatively you can reverse engineer this once you have a lens port combination that is absolutely exact.
 
For the purpose of my calculations I have measured that my E-Mount camera is 27mm recessed inside the housing. This is important as it is needed to calculate the extension for the dome. If you are in a different format you need to measure this distance yourself.
 
Entrance Pupil to Housing Port
We have previously determined the entrance pupil from the lens mount and now we know how much this is recessed in the housing so we can calculate the required extension to reach the entrance pupil however thisassumes the domes are hemispheres which in most cases they are not.
 
Distance from Port → Entrance Pupil Distance from Lens Mount - Housing Recession Factor
 
Wide Angle Ports
Again we need a calliper to determine the depth of the port as those are not full hemispheres. I have access to the 180mm dome and I know that the port is actually 8.5cm tall from mount to glass edge because I measured it. Thismeans I need to add 25mm to the extension required.
 
Extension Required = Distance from Port +- Port Correction Factor
 
What about other brands?
The challenge with other brands is the lack of documentation however you can contact the design department to obtain information on the dome port they should not be a secret. The other challenge is the availability of extension rings. The Nauticam system has a level of precision of 5mm which is excellent however I am under the definite impression that they run their tests using in most cases steps of 10mm and using as first approach how the lens fits the port, they do not go and attempt to determine the entrance pupil.You can observe that because when you look at a specific port say the 180mm wide angle and you apply the suggested extensions in all cases the lens edge is flush with the extension.
 
In most cases this turns out to be accurate however there are some cases where wider lenses need to be more recessed and narrower lenses need to stick out more.
 
Fisheye Lenses
When you use a fisheye lens with a complete hemisphere dome port the calculations remain the same however it is a bit simpler to proceed without data. If your fisheye has a diagonal 180 degrees view and your extension is too long you will see vignette in the corners.
 
However if you push your fisheye lens closer to the glass you may be able to use a dome with a smaller field of view but the edge distortion will increase and so will chromatic aberrations.
 
Wrap Up
This article has shown that it is possible, with basic knowledge of trigonometry and access to lens, dome and camera design information to determine:
 
How well a lens may work What is the minimum dome radius required to preserve the image quality What is the extension required How to find out the required field of view of your port  
Without acquiring the actual lens camera or wide angle port. It is important to understand that if a lens is weak in air it won’t get better in water and in particular you need to appreciate that topside tests are not identical to use behind a dome that instead means working at very close focus well under one metre mostly around 30 to 50 cm. It may be worth it in some cases to rent a lens if available and take some tripod shots at close range. If you see really weak performance the lens may not be worth housing it at all.
 
I hope that this article allows you to have a more informed view of the key factors to look for in a lens that will ensure underwater performance is as good as it can be.
 
 
Methods to determine the appropriate dome port for a wide angle lens in an underwater housing - SHORT.pdf
Methods to determine the appropriate dome port for a wide angle lens in an underwater housing - SHORT.pdf
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Snorkeling With Orcas In Norway

How to
 
I can still remember me sitting in a hotel lobby after a Lake Baikal tour in 2014, reading a dive operator newsletter about “Snorkeling with Orcas in Norway”. I just thought, “ Are they crazy,  snorkeling with Orcas?! Definitely not, that’s too dangerous!”
 
Well, the years passed and everyone returned in one piece from these tours. Over all these years the Orca action doesn't seem to be letting up, based on reliable first-hand information, and because I upgraded my camera setup, I decided to travel to Norway too. More specifically, to Northern Norway.  I flew in to Tromsö, took the fast ferry on the same day to an island called Skjervoy. The ferry ride is 2 1/2 hours, by car its a 3 ½ hours (250km) drive.
 
World map with Skjervoy
 
Europe map with Skjervoy
 
 
Skjervoy detail maps
 
What actually happens there

During the winter months uncountable tons of herring migrate to the fjords to overwinter and apparently to rest there. Orcas, Humpback-, Finn- and Minke whales follow the herring and eat their fill. Even Sperm whales have been seen there. The fjord of Skjervoy has been a reliable place for this for 8 winters now. Before the action happened around Tromsö, in Andfjord and Senja or Tysfjord. As a result, Orca watching and snorkeling has become a big business in this area.
 

This is a picture from the sonar screen. On the left side of the screen you see the seafloor topography and the depth under the boat with 164m. On the right side you can see, that the sonar measures only 139m. What’s wrong? The herring gathered so tense the sonar didn’t reach the actually seafloor and assumed the herring as the seafloor! The red color on the screen are the fish. The fish start at around 115,5m, probably all the way to the seafloor - around 50 to 60m of fish in the water column. How amazing is that!? In the blue area of the screen, right under the top white line, on the left side, you can see greenish dots - that’s a Finnwhale. Another one is at around 75m on the right side of the screen
 
Liveaboard or landbased

There are several large liveaboards that offer short trips of just a few days, up to a week. The large ships have the advantage that they start in Tromsö, can travel long distances in any weather conditions to find Orcas and avoid so the fleet of small boats, which don´t have such a big ranges. But once you've found Orcas, you're sitting on a dingi and are exposed to the cold wind. During my stay it was plus 3 degrees to minus 6 degrees Celsius.

I booked with my long trusted tour operator for Nordic regions: Northern Explorers. He put me on a small cabin cruiser boat. In my opinion, sufficient enough for the fjord, protection from the wind, spaces to sit in a normal position, a toilet. What else do you need? Orcas, of course.
 
I booked two trips in a row to have more opportunities to get footage and in case of days lost due bad weather. I have been to such northern regions many times and had, the one and the other, day lost due weather conditions. So I thought two tours are a smart decision. And it was again. 13 days on the water, 3 days without Orcas sightings (due high waves the searching area decreased and even if we have found Orcas it would have been too risky to get in and out of the water), 1 day we found Orcas, but the group was avoiding us, so we didn't get in the water.
 
 
 
Freedive equipment

Anyone who has ever tried snorkeling in a drysuit knows that's not really possible. I was advised to get a Smoothskin - Open Cell freedive wetsuit. Water temperature was around 5 to 6 degrees Celsius. I decided for a 7mm. Normally wetsuits have a layer of fabric over the neoprene to protect it. Open cell smoothskin apnea suits do not have this linen. Open Cell inside is a porous neoprene layer without any coating. And because it’s porous, the open cells/microscopic bubbles attach to the skin by creating a vacuum and therefore, the suits usually fit like a second skin and keep very warm. Unfortunately, this advantage also makes the wetsuit much more fragile than the nylon lined insider. If you want to put this suit on or off, you definitely need water and soap. Smooth Skin on the outside has also no fabric and dries immediately. In addition is used freedive fins and a weight vest. For the case I wanted to stay longer underwater, like at a bait ball, I used a 7 liter tank on a backplate. I did a test dive in a lake before, to check the approx weights and how to manage the buoyancy without a BCD.
 
 
 
 
Looking for orcas
 
Approaching a pod of orcas
 
 
Orcas and a small humpback whale in the background
 
Camera gear

I used my Red Komodo due the larger sensor size and left the Panasonic GH5 at home. Although the smaller GH5 housing would have been much easier to snorkel and free dive with. I switched between 18-55mm (with IBIS) and 28-70mm (no IBIS) lenses. Behind the WACP1 they give me 123 and 90 degree converted FOV. Filmed in 6K, 17:9, 24fps.
For the topside shots I used a DJI Mavic 2Pro and Panasonic GH5 on a gimbal with a 12-60mm and a 100-300mm lens

Daily routine

At this latitude the sun in November just barely comes over the horizon and days get shorter loosing 12 minutes of daylight every day. Due the low sun the colors in the sky can be unreal and reminded me sometimes on Old Master paintings.
 
Beautiful mood under the water surface. Orcas are missing in this shot
 
 
We headed in the areas where herring fishing was going on during the night. Apps, like Marine Traffic, are very useful for that. As we headed out we have always been on the outlook for Orcas. We also oriented at the Marine Traffic locations of the liveaboards. It was a good sign, if they didn´t move the vessels. Hints from other boats were also shared.
 
Once we had found an Orca pod, we followed them at their side for a while. If the Orcas seem to accept us, the guide gets the boat in a good position to drop us. Then it was all up to the Orcas. Is it just a quick swim by, a dive down or an interested interaction.
 
 
Ready to go!
 
 
Due a hint from a liveaboard guest and Marine Traffic position we headed far north. The weather and the sea forecast was okay, so the long way was doable. We encountered a very relaxed Orca group, swimming back and forth, circling around us several times. Unfortunately we had to finish this interaction too early, it was a long way back, and the night slowly fell, shortly after noon. Two uncut
clips from this group below. Clips are not slowed down.
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is where we found the group. The farthest point we travelled
 
 
The main goal is to find Orcas at bait balls. That’s where the action happen! The Orcas rotate and hit the herring with their tail fin. Dazed herrings are eaten then. Bubble feeding is also possible. At my first bait ball I suddenly found myself right in the bubbles. I knew I had to get out of here - immediately! You can't see anything and a Humpback whale can shoot up from the deep at any time.
 
Herring bait ball
 
 
 
Trying to find a good position
 
After I found a good position, I let the camera roll and tried a free dive. The free dive was interrupted at 3,6m by heavy oncoming traffic!
 
I saw two white fins coming up from the dark „a Humpback! Keep the camera steady!“
 
Humpback whale close encounter
 
Humpback whale close encounter
 
Humpback whale close encounter
 
Humpback whale close encounter
 
 
Conclusion

It was a lot of fun and I would do it again! I like the challenge of cold weather, wind and waves, and it were good cardio exercises too. I only wished to get more detailed feeding scenes underwater and by drone the next time. Getting good video footage of Orcas is not easy. I cannot compare it to anything I have ever filmed underwater. Often it is a matter of seconds. If it seemed to be a good boat drop, I
visualized the shot, or what might happen under the surface, before jumping in. Planning the shots in the water first, it's way too late. I realized this after a week.

You can watch the movie from this trip here. And like always…feel free to share, comment, like, dislike and follow! You can make an old man very happy!
 
See you at the Orcas - cheers, Alex.
 
 
 
 
Alex B

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